Too Good To Be True?

Secretary of State Clinton and Prime Minister Fayyad, last week.(Alex Brandon/AFP/Getty Images)

In all the praise for Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad—from Thomas Friedman to Roger Cohen to even Israeli President Shimon Peres, who famously called him “the Palestinian Ben Gurion” (in a more measured take, contributing editor Michael Weiss was there first)—I had yet to see a single anecdote that fully captured how so many various Western bien pensant political observers had anointed Fayyad, the head of the West Bank cabinet who has emphasized state-building for its own sake and as a means of putting pressure on Israel to make peace, as their favorite Palestinian; as, really, their Palestinian best friend.

That is, not until I had read Tablet Magazine contributing editor Nathan Thrall’s indispensable new dispatch, in which we learn that when Fayyad, who holds an economics Ph.D. from the University of Texas, first met President George W. Bush in 2003 (he was then Yasser Arafat’s finance minister), the former Texas governor “greeted him with index and pinky fingers extended to display UT Austin’s ‘Hook ‘em Horns’ sign.”

Thrall’s article is most valuable, though, because its combination of first-person reporting and exhaustive collation makes the most persuasive case yet that, as an earlier study had hinted, Fayyad’s state-building, while not without its successes, is ultimately more of a chimera than its champions like to admit; is unsustainably dependent on authoritarianism; and is unpopular among a likely majority of West Bank Palestinians.

Specifically, many residents could find themselves turning to Hamas (as, indeed, they already did in elections held a few years ago) unless the leadership finds itself some more legitimacy, and fast; and yet the mode of state-building, the negotiating with Israel, and the cooperation with the West make that less likely. It was during Israel’s Gaza conflict with Hamas that Fayyad’s Palestinian Authority “surrounded mosques, kept young men from approaching Israeli checkpoints, arrested protesters chanting Hamas slogans, and dispersed demonstrators with batons, pepper spray, and tear gas.” Fayyad and his security services’ cooperation with Israel and the United States—major parts of the article explore a three-star U.S. general’s quiet but prominent advisory role in forming the P.A.’s security force—make Fayyad and President Abbas, whose term expired well over a year ago but who continues to rule by presidential decree, appear increasingly illegitimate in the eyes of most of their “constituents.” Reports Thrall:

Fayyad, for all his commitment to accountability and transparency, has repeatedly been found in polls to have less legitimacy than the Hamas prime minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, and oversees a government that in a recent Global Integrity Index tied with Iraq as the sixth most corrupt in the world. … West Bank residents have consistently reported feeling less safe than Gazans, whose lives under Hamas rule are in many respects worse.

Things to keep in mind as the Israeli leadership negotiates for peace with … this Palestinian leadership. One worries about whether they will reach a deal, of course. But after reading this article, one also worries about what happens after they do, and a despised leadership has to continue dictating to its own people, all while its alternative, Hamas, looks that much more attractive.

WAIT, WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY TO COMMENT?
Tablet is committed to bringing you the best, smartest, most enlightening and entertaining reporting and writing on Jewish life, all free of charge. We take pride in our community of readers, and are thrilled that you choose to engage with us in a way that is both thoughtful and thought-provoking. But the Internet, for all of its wonders, poses challenges to civilized and constructive discussion, allowing vocal—and, often, anonymous—minorities to drag it down with invective (and worse). Starting today, then, we are asking people who'd like to post comments on the site to pay a nominal fee—less a paywall than a gesture of your own commitment to the cause of great conversation. All proceeds go to helping us bring you the ambitious journalism that brought you here in the first place.

I NEED TO BE HEARD! BUT I DONT WANT TO PAY.
Readers can still interact with us free of charge via Facebook, Twitter, and our other social media channels, or write to us at letters@tabletmag.com. Each week, we’ll select the best letters and publish them in a new letters to the editor feature on the Scroll.

We hope this new largely symbolic measure will help us create a more pleasant and cultivated environment for all of our readers, and, as always, we thank you deeply for your support.

I have to have likely as to thanking then you into the pro referrals We have all often preferred finding out about your web sites. We’re waiting for the type of graduation associated with my very own university studying and whole entire research would not tend to be execute without requiring beingshown to people there up to your website. Should i might associated with easily people, I’ll be pleased help of what I’ve experienced from this level.

I have to remove facility within to thank you have for their proficient thoughts I possess occasionally took pleasure considering the sites. We’re looking towards the store’s start including the organization or perhaps inquiry and then the extensive footwork would not have most certainly been full-blown have to have driving up to your web site. House may possibly be of a typical whilst, We are pleased to support of what We have all practiced came from here.

I must utilize the technique off thanking people for those consultant techniques You will find over and over again was pleased with choices your webpage. We’re anxious about any graduation associated with my best collage become familiar with nicely full research would not ended up in depth with no going onto your blog post. N’ t simply might be of help a number of people, We are grateful to assistance as to what We now have studied at this point.

Name (required)Email (required, will not be published)Website (optional)

Message

2000

Your comment may be no longer than 2,000 characters, approximately 400 words. HTML tags are not permitted, nor are more than two URLs per comment. We reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments.